1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to chemical compositions and a method for their application to the underside and other parts of lawn mower decks, in order to prevent grass or other debris from adhering to the lawn mower decks or blades.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
When operating a lawn mower, particularly in either high, thick or wet grass, problems are often encountered with the lawnmower becoming clogged with cut grass, dirt or other debris. The cut grass tends to adhere to the underside of the mower deck, the mower blades, and around the chute area from which cut grass is expelled. This clogging can result in considerable equipment down-time, which is spent unclogging and removing grass, as well as a decrease in fuel-efficiency and decrease in operating life of the equipment as a result of the mower blades not being able to rotate as freely as they should.
The problem is particularly severe for those personnel mowing large tracts of grass on a regular basis, such as the borders of highways. Such personnel, to stay on schedule, must mow the grass on a particular day regardless of its condition. In addition to mowing wet grass, it is also often necessary to mow grass on uneven terrain, where much of the cut grass is directed against the mower's lower deck to which it can adhere and become lodged.
It is known that various polysiloxanes, either alone or in combination with a solvent, can serve as a release agent. The following references are representative.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,674 to Dumas teaches an anti-adhesion composition for preventing tar, wax, etc. from adhering to a fibrous surface such as paper. The composition comprises an organopolysiloxanic oil, a filler, an emulsifier, and an alkali salt of an organosilane-triol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,215 to Coon discloses a composition for releasing ice. It comprises a siloxane fluid, a titanate compound, and a diluent such as naphtha mineral spirits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,362 to Stewart discloses a metal substrate treated with carboxyfunctional siloxanes. Such surfaces are useful in the fuser rolls of copy machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,756 to Brooks teaches a mold release composition comprising organopolysiloxane, an alkoxylated silicone resin, and the silicon resin of an organometallic compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,826 to Brill et al. teaches the use of a composition comprising polydimethylsiloxane, a siloxane resin, a metal oxide, and a solvent as an oven cleaner.
Attempts to mechanically clear the underside of a lawn mower exist in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,467 to Konrad teaches a vibrating disc driven by the mower's exhaust, U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,212 to Hengesbach discloses an attachment for spraying water on or above the blade, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,446 to Haapoja et al. teaches a water conduit for flushing out the cut grass.
The invention provides chemical compositions, and a method of treating the painted and other surfaces of a lawn mower, which is not shown or described in the prior art.